


In This Sun-Sheltered Place

by foxtales



Category: British Actor RPF, The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22973650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxtales/pseuds/foxtales
Summary: Post-wrap. Dom reviews his situation, Billy clears up a few things.
Relationships: Billy Boyd/Dominic Monaghan
Kudos: 4





	In This Sun-Sheltered Place

**Author's Note:**

> Way back in 2005, I'd made a request post and pippinmctaggart requested monaboyd. Part of this piece is based on a print taken from A.A. Milne's 100 Acre Woods/Winnie the Pooh world. 
> 
> Title from "Secret World" by Peter Gabriel.

Dom shook his head, bemused, as he realized where he was. He’d intended on going to his favorite specialty grocer one more time, but found himself pulling into Billy’s parking lot instead.

 _Getting predictable, Dominic._ He sighed as he parked, and headed up to Billy’s flat. He wasn’t too surprised to find himself here, if he really thought about it. Two days ago had been the final day of principle filming, and Pete had done take after take, but even he’d finally had to admit Elijah wasn’t going to pull anything extra magical out of his hat after 50 takes and he’d called it a wrap. The crew and the cast left in New Zealand had gone to the wrap party afterwards. The prevailing emotions had been accomplishment and a mounting sense of depression. This project had been a daily part of their lives, up to four years now for some, and no one was quite able to accept that it was coming to an end. Yes, reshoots and add-ons were going to happen but those would not be on nearly the same scale. Dom had watched Billy smile and joke his way through it all, and felt a niggling little pain in his chest.

He felt that same little pain now as he knocked on Billy’s door. Billy had impressed Dom from the start; had, arguably, gone through the most of everyone to be a part of this. If Billy had been a lesser man, he might still be working in a factory, and they’d have never met. Dom’s stomach dropped at the thought, as it always did when he wondered how different his life would be if his Pippin had been played by someone else. He never followed that line of thought too far—couldn’t, because Billy was more to him than just Pippin, more than just a mate or even a best mate, really. Dom loved Billy more and deeper than any label available allowed for, and that was just the way of things. He’d accepted that long ago and lived with it.

Of course, he’d had daydreams of telling Billy everything, of just falling at his feet and pouring out his heart, and of Billy reaching down and lifting him up into a crushing embrace. He’d imagined Billy whispering in a low, rough tone that Dom was a wanker for waiting so long before his lips and tongue and teeth were put to better use all along Dom’s neck and throat. But he’d also imagined Billy looking down at him with disgust before telling him to stay away and never touch him outside of what was necessary for filming before stalking off. In the end, he hadn’t been able to ask for what he wanted, because it had involved more than he and Bill. Merry and Pippin simply loved each other and any underlying emotion inadvertently brought in would have ruined that simplicity and truth. Lou Reed had had it right when he’d sung, “Life is good, but it’s not fair.”

He realized he’d been standing in front of the door zoning out and knocked again. When there was still no answer, Dom pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, calling Billy’s name as he entered. He wandered the flat, absorbing the emptiness of it. The pictures and touches that had made it Billy’s were in boxes, being prepared for shipment to Scotland. Dom sighed heavily. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known Billy wouldn’t go back to Glasgow; he’d never made a secret of the fact that he had no desire to live in London or L.A. or even to pursue a “Hollywood career.” When Dom had challenged him outright, had demanded to know how Billy could expect to continue to get choice roles from _Glasgow_ of all places, Billy had simply smiled (somewhat sadly although Dom hadn’t realized that at the time) and said, “I’d rather be a bit player in something I love, Dominic. I’ll not give up what’s important to me for any movie role, anywhere. But I understand that we see this differently, you and I.” And they’d agreed to disagree and moved on to the next pint and topic of discussion.

Dom had let it go, but it had come back to him often since that night--Billy’s expression, his words. His mate had been trying to tell him something and Dom, usually so intuitive and easily able to pick up such signals, had missed it. That bothered him because his biggest fear was that, once Billy was back in Glasgow and Dom was in L.A., they would grow away from being billyanddom; that they would not remember how to _be_ that way anymore. He didn’t even want to imagine what that would be like.

Dom leaned against the kitchen counter and wondered where Billy was, since he obviously wasn’t at home. The answer came to him a moment later, and a sad smile crossed his face as he pushed himself up from the counter and headed out the door, locking it behind him.

There was a park, near where they’d filmed, just outside of downtown Wellington. Billy had been enchanted the first time they’d happened across one of the little clearings in the interior. There’d been a meandering creek, low hanging trees and an old wooden bridge. Billy had spent many an hour there, Dom knew.

They’d often gone together, wandering through the trees, Dom picking up insects and Billy threatening him with any manner of horrible punishments if he came any closer “with that feckin' bug.” But Dom could also recall several times when he’d come across Billy there, alone, simply leaning over the bridge and watching the water flow beneath him. He’d never disturbed his mate at those times, only watched for several moments, seen the quiet and not-quite melancholy demeanor and kept going on his own path, determined to ask Bill if anything was bothering him the next time they got together.

When Dom reached the park, he saw Billy’s car in the lot. Sighing in relief, he got out and headed into the woods. He took his time getting to the clearing, looking everywhere, trying to fix the images in his memory; he knew Billy likely wasn’t going anywhere and that, even if he did decide it was time to leave, they’d run into each other on the path.

He reached the clearing several minutes later. Billy was leaning on the bridge, his forearms braced on the top rail, his hands hanging out over the stream, fingers loosely clasped together. Dom watched him for a moment and contemplated leaving but the niggling little pain in his chest ached now and he knew he couldn’t.

“Billy.” Dom’s voice was only a husky whisper so he cleared his throat and tried again. “Bill.”

“C’mere, Dom,” Billy said quietly, not turning around.

Dom went and stood close to Billy, but not in his personal space, not wanting to push. Billy moved so that they stood pressed together from shoulder to heel.

“It’s just that, we’re going to be so far apart, Bill,” Dom babbled, picking up a thread of conversation they’d had in the past. “Not like if I was just going to be in London or…”

“That I ken, Dominic. We’ve had this discussion before. Why again, now?”

Dom felt the rather hysterical screech of, “Because I’m in love with you, you fucking CUNT!” bubbling up but managed to swallow it down somehow. Instead, he took a steadying breath and said, “What if we forget how to be with each other, Bill? What if you don’t remember…” he broke off, knowing he’d said too much.

“Ach, Dominic Monaghan, ye great stupid Sassenach. As if I’d ever forget how to be with my best mate?”

Dom hung his head. How could Billy not understand? “That’s not…” he stopped, his heart breaking. “No, you’re right, of course.”

Billy’s hands tightened convulsively and then loosened again. He unclasped a hand and reached over, gently taking hold of Dom’s chin and turning his head until they were facing each other.

Dom stared intently at Billy, searching his face, his eyes, finding a gleam in the bright green gaze he’d never seen before. He inhaled sharply as Billy tenderly stroked the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

“Dom?”

“Yes, Billy?”

“I will never not remember you. Not ever.”

And as Billy kissed him softly, gently, Dom knew that there was something very important going to happen to him, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with getting the choicest roles.


End file.
